News

Several small bombs were set off in a hotel in northern Burma, while violence continues in southern Thailand, ignored by the world. This time the victim was a 46-year-old Buddhist man who was shot then burned alive. Another man was also shot but managed to escape the militants.
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Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. special envoy to Burma, is now taking the good fight to China. Maybe he'll bring up the Olympics. And the BBC has a special report from Burma as the six-month mark after the protests approaches. More love for Rambo: Burmese refugees in Connecticut saw the film and say "It's true."Interesting but pictureless description of the Ajanta Caves.
Two 32-year-olds killed in more violence in southern Thailand.
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Danny Fisher follows up on Burma with a depressing report from avaaz.org.
An unlikely pairing: Amnesty International and John Rambo.
Quick: what's the capital of Burma? The zoo is being moved there.
The Karen National Union, a rebel group on Burma's border with Thailand, saw their leader Mahn Sha assassinated recently.
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The inevitable, vague connection: The Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand are in fact no other than -- dunh dunh dunh! -- AL QAEDA! Well, who can blame the Thai government official who uncovered this shocking news? If you told Uncle Sam that the leak in your kitchen faucet was caused by evildoers, they might write you a check for four hundred million dollars to fix it.
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Look out, Myanmar, Laura Bush is gonna getcha! Pop quiz: What was her First Lady project? Whatever it was, she's letting the junta have it in no uncertain terms:
"The junta has made no meaningful attempt to meet and talk with democratic activists. Instead it has continued to harass and detain them," Laura Bush said.
"The junta leaders continue to sell the country's natural resources to enrich themselves. While they reject international calls for a democratic transition, they have put Burma in shambles and placed its people in a perilous state," she said.
"Children are being trafficked and subject to forced recruitment into the military; citizens are fleeing the country to seek work and basic healthcare; meanwhile infectious diseases, including AIDS and malaria, continue to spread unchecked," said Laura Bush.
Right on.
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A very cool movie by Andy Ferguson on the burial site of Bodhidharma is up on YouTube. The site has only recently been rediscovered and, even more recently, been refurbished. This will become a major pilgrimage site for Zen practitioners in the years to come. Thanks to the ZenFrog for pointing it out. Visit South Mountain Tours for more info on how to get there.
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